It was the beginning of a four day weekend. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, Friday is Christmas Day, then we were off of work Saturday and Sunday. It was the end of our work day, and we were stepping out the door to begin our one hour commute home. As you know, if you read This is Me, I ride from home to work/school with my mom daily. My aunt and uncle from Philadelphia were in town staying with my grandmother and aunt. The four of them were scheduled to join us for dinner on this Wednesday evening along with my girlfriend Cortney's family. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday weekend, and the sense of excitement inside me was the first real taste of this year's holiday atmosphere. As I often did, I settled into the passenger seat, reclined it a few notches, and did a routine check for holes in my eye lids. When you live, work, and commute with the same person, you often run out of things to talk about. These two hours a day spent in the truck usually consisted of her on the phone, and me reading or napping.
Wednesday December 23, 2009 approximately 4:45 p.m. Tickfaw, LA
Many times in my life I have had the dream where I am falling off a cliff with that weird sensation of freedom but ever-increasing nervousness as the ground approaches. Just before the free fall ends, I awaken suddenly, often times sitting up straight in bed and breathing heavily with a sweaty forehead and rapid heartbeat. It usually only takes a few minutes for me to relax after convincing myself it was just a dream, and everything will be OK. As quickly as my anxiety had built up, it seems to subside just as hastily. This descent of emotion seems to put me right back into the same deep sleep I was rudely awoken from moments ago. It can sometimes seem so real, and I wake up genuinely scared. However realistic it seemed, none of that would compare to the rude awakening I was about to be faced with.
We had only made it a couple miles from work, less than ten. The roads were slick from the light drizzle that seemed to be dampening the entire day. I was dozing in and out of my nap, but deep enough into it to be absolutely shocked by what was about to occur. I felt the brakes lock up and the truck go into a forward slide. Simultaneously I heard the voice of my mother say "Oh shit!" The two alarms made me jerk up instantly just as if I had been awoken from one of those terrible dreams. However, during this nightmare I had no idea what I was free falling into. It was probably only three or so seconds, but felt like minutes. As I lurched forward to see what was going on, I saw the most fearful sight of my life: a Chevy Suburban in our lane bearing down on us at between 45-50 mph. I remember hearing "hold on" followed by a very loud symphony of metal crashing into metal, airbags being deployed, and my own grunt as all the air was squeezed from me when the seatbelt brought me from 50 to 0 mph. Our truck was a beautiful burnt orange color. The hood had been smashed up and was all that could be seen through the windshield. There was a haze of smoke from the airbags being deployed. The smoke combined with the color of the hood caused my mom to say "it's on fire, get out quick!" Without even taking the time to try and decide if she was correct I unbuckled my seatbelt and threw open the door. As I was exiting the truck, I heard the desperation plea from my mom, "the door is jammed, I can't open it." While running around the back of the vehicle I yelled, "I'm coming, I'll get you out." This was going to be one of the adrenaline moments like when a mom lifts a car off of her child. I was going to get that door open and my mom out of the truck. As soon as I reached the door, it swung open. I didn't have to be the hulking hero, she did it herself. Along with a broken back and ribs, my mom had a broken toe. Looking back, we think the cause of it was her kicking open the door. As soon as she slid from the driver's seat onto the road, she collapsed. The pain caused by her broken spine would not allow any pressure on it. I ushered her away from the truck and into the ditch to lay down. Luckily the truck was not on fire because that thought left my mind rather quickly, and we weren't a safe distance away. I knelt next to my mother in the soaked grass of the roadside ditch. All I could say was "it will be OK, you are going to be alright. I know it hurts, but stay calm, we will be OK." I didn't know if we would be OK. I didn't know if she would ever walk again. I didn't know what the hell was going on. All I knew was that she was in agonizing pain and I had to be her rock and keep her calm and thinking positively.
It was amazing how quickly people showed up to help. A female who was in a vehicle behind us and saw the accident was by my side instantly. Another driver who witnessed the ordeal was a nurse and began checking my mom's sense of feeling in her fingers, toes, and legs. The female driver who was first to the scene ran over to check on the other driver involved in the accident. She walked back over a minute later and said "we got a dead one, she's dead." I don't know why I did this, because I can assure you I have no desire to see death, but I instantly got up and began to walk to the Suburban to have a look for myself. It was then that the adrenaline had subsided enough for me to realize I too was hurt. My left ankle gave me an immense amount of pain along with my left hip and wrist. Nonetheless, I marched over to the Suburban ignoring my mom's attempts to discourage me from seeing it. The women was lifeless in the driver's seat. Her body was slouched over the center console with her long blonde hair draped over her face. If not for the seatbelt holding her up, she would have been laid across to the passenger's seat. I stared, I looked at her, I didn't say anything or do anything. I didn't know what to do, what to think, what to feel.
The female who was first to arrive on scene was trying to talk to the woman and touched her arm. The driver made some sort of a mumble, and slightly moved her head and body. Relieved that we wouldn't have to deal with death today, I walked away to tend to the person I cared about. Some of you may be saying at this point, "Um, hello! Are you going to call 911?!?!?" I had to re-enter the truck to find my iPhone. It was on the floor by the pedals, with my case in pieces. The horrendous smell of the airbag emission was still hissing from the dashboard. I grabbed the trusty Apple product and it illuminated to life as I dialed 911. I thought I had everything under control, and things were settling down. But as soon as the operator answered, my level of panic went back to square one. I told them what happened, and my mom was badly hurt, probably a broken back, and the driver of the other vehicle was barely conscious. She asked so many damn questions which I was in no mental state to answer, and she even patched in the ambulance operator who asked more. I said "just get here as fast as you can." My mentality was bring the whole army if you have to, we need to get my mom to a hospital. Ask questions later.
Wednesday December 23, 2009 approximately 4:50 p.m. Covington, LA
Johnny Nugent III was at his home in good ole Lee Road. He had his 18 ounce Miller Lite long neck in hand, ready to take the last pull on it, deposit the empty, and start on the case of bottles that he and his son would inevitably kill tonight as the family started their holiday festivities. The holster on hip began to vibrate and he cursed to himself thinking "if this is the dispatcher ten minutes before 5:00, they can forget about me answering." However, it was his drinking buddy - his son. It wasn't uncommon for LJ to call and say that he and mom were on the way home, but usually there was a reason. Johnny III answered the phone anticipating his son to say "me and mom are on our way home. She's talking to Maw Maw finalizing tonight's plans. We will see you in a bit." But instead he was confronted with an answer he had never heard before. It was indeed the voice of his son, but it possessed a tone that he never dreamt he would have to endure. Johnny IV said,"Dad, we have been in a wreck. Mom's back is hurt, we are getting into an ambulance right now. Call the family and tell them the party is cancelled, and come to the hospital immediately. Everything will be OK." Johnny III quivered. How could everything be OK? You don't call someone and tell them that type of news and simply say everything will be OK. Shakily his voice murmured some sort of question but his son simply said, "Dad, we will be OK. We are getting into the ambulance. Come to the hospital now."
Wednesday December 23, 2009 approximately 4:50 p.m. Tickfaw, LA
There wasn't much more for me to tell my father. I could tell by his voice that he was distraught, but damn, so was I. We had been in a wreck, we were getting into the ambulance and we were heading to the hospital, it was that simple. The best thing for him to do was inform the rest of the family that the party was cancelled, and get to the hospital. Maybe I wasn't the most sensitive at being the bearer of bad news, but at this point I was trying to take the reins and control the situation. Plain and simple, there wasn't much more to say.
Wednesday December 23, 2009 approximately 4:55-5:00 p.m. Covington, LA
Cortney was preparing for a pleasant night between her parents and her boyfriend's family. Of course he was the man of her dreams, but it didn't hurt at all that their families got along perfectly. This was going to be a fun-filled night. She knew Johnny and Mrs. Dona would be leaving work around 4:30, getting home a little before 5:30. Because of the commute, the party was scheduled around 6:00; it was flexible. Cortney was preparing things, making sure her parents were ready to depart when notified, then the phone rang. It was Johnny. No big deal. He was about halfway home; he was just calling to tell her so, and give her a confirmation of what she already knew. Instead she was greeted by a panicked voice she hadn't yet heard in her elongated relationship with the person on the other end. Johnny said, "We got in a wreck on our way home. We are in an ambulance headed to the hospital. The party is cancelled. Meet us at the hospital if you want." Cortney's nerves were as cold as steel, almost as if she were born to deal with these tragedies. Without question, she confirmed the message, hung up the phone, and she and her mother were in route to the hospital.
Wednesday December 23, 2009 approximately 5:15-5:30 p.m. Hammond, LA
It was impossible to maintain any recollection of time through all of this, so that is my best guess. We made it to the hospital. The ambulance ride sucked. I told them I wanted to go get checked out because I had pain, but absolutely did not want to be strapped down onto the stiff board. Apparently that wasn't an option. I did manage an attempt at lightening the situation by asking mom "what kind of vehicle are you going to get now?" I got a bit of a chuckle, but I don't think she was in the mood. That was the extent of our conversation in the ambulance. I don't know how they did it, but I think Cortney and her mom were waiting for me in the emergency room, along with my father. Call it ambulatory incompetency, or call it desperate love for those you care about, but they were there. I was in and out of the hospital fairly quickly. Just a quick check by the doctor and some x-rays; having my cloths stripped off by two cute nurses was the highlight. I was able to tell Cortney, "this is bullshit, I didn't want to be strapped down onto this thing." But after I was unstrapped, I made sure the sexy gown those cute nurses put me in revealed my white ass to everyone in the emergency room.
Cortney and her mom took me home from the hospital. When we left I had my mom's cell phone and was tasked with calling and notifying everyone of what happened. I got a call from my mom's friend. I don't know how this woman found out so quickly, but it didn't matter. She told me that she hopes me and my mother will be alright, and if there is anything we need, just give her a call because she will drop everything to help us. I was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle physically wounded, but the pain of the metal on metal wreck isn't what made me cry. I began to weep uncontrollably. I was overwhelmed with emotion because of the realization of those who are in my life who will come to the front line when it is a true battle. I was brutally reminded of August 29, 2005 when Katrina generated a tornado that took off our roof and ruined our house. It wasn't the ceilings falling in that made me sad. I clinched my fist and wanted to fight when that happened. It was the neighbors who showed up in the pooring rain to salvage our prized belongings that made me drop to my knees and sob.
My mom stayed in the hospital for I believe two more days. She had a hellacious six month recovery ahead of her. As for me, I still have wrist pain to remind me of that day over two years ago. I'm sure as I age, it will get worse but the wrist pain is welcomed when compared to the anguish caused by what could have happened that day.
I know that was pretty long, so if you stuck with me this far, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed my story, and my personal reminder of how quickly something can be taken from you.
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